The ubiquity of PDFs, their accessibility, and their suitability for printing and pre-printing workflows have made them the go-to format for the industry, and that their quality and consistency during exchanges is critical to efficient operation.

Print digital documents with perfect fidelity

Large publications can involve enormous file sizes, which need to be rendered quickly and in high-resolution for reviewing and late-stage editing. Any PDF applications used require powerful processing capabilities to maintain efficiency.

The PDF/X standard, almost universally adopted across the publishing industry, minimizes file errors that hinder the printing process (ie. missing images, incorrect colour spaces and unembedded fonts). Following this standard, numerous submissions of the same document are guaranteed to print uniformly and at high qualities.

A single PDF/X standard is not enough to completely address diverse sections of the industry, and a family of sub-standards from PDF/X-1 to X-5 exists to tailor printing for specialized results. Using powerful PDF editors or developing applications with PDF SDKs ensure each file is saved in the correct format for perfect rendering.

Keep control of multiple versions

Before going to print, each edition of a publication can go through dozens of edits. Keeping everyone involved working on the correct version – and only the correct version – is an essential function of any document processing application.

Foxit PDF SDK comes packed with tools to monitor and restrict access, track changes, partially lock documents for annotation without editing, and also to programmatically control the flow of documents so the right person gets access at the right time.

Render documents correctly on multiple devices

Not only do publishers have to consider printing correctly to paper, the industry faces upheaval with an unprecedented move to digital content. British and U.S. publishers estimate 20% of their content offerings will be digital, with European publishers estimating 10%.

Digital publishing faces different challenges to traditional press publishing with the need for a single document to display correctly on e-readers, tablets, or mobiles. While newer, specific formats such as EPUB and MOBI are specifically designed for e-readers, using marked content to add structure to PDFs allows for cross-device compatibility and easy conversion between formats. Adding marked content also improves digital publishing accessibility, making it more compatible with screen readers and similar technology.

Streamline and automate publishing workflows

In addition to all of these concerns, the publishing workflow involves many moving parts and many interacting programs, with each publishing house using different design tools for document production. PDF applications developed for the industry need to the ability to seamlessly integrate with multiple APIs to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity.

Developing in house applications to manage publishing workflows allow for automation of time consuming and error prone stages of the process. Checking for correct formats, getting and verifying digital signatures and version control, among others.

Protect copyrighted content

Protecting content from theft remains an issue for both print and digital publications. PDF applications used by publishers require features to protect documents from theft, ranging from the ability to add watermarks to files for print or e-publications to creation to full-fledged integration with Digital Rights Management (DRM).

Foxit PDF SDK arms developers with the tools to develop PDF applications that fulfill all the needs of the modern publishing house. Chosen by Google to be the underpinning technology for their open-source PDF engine for its versatility and power, it is the chosen PDF SDK for major publishing houses such as Harper Collins and the New York Times.

Support for multiple PDF/X formats

Foxit PDF SDK comes with several built-in PDF libraries providing developers with all the tools needed to easily deliver documents complying to any of the PDF/X standards.

Rapid, high fidelity rendering of large files

Large, high resolution documents can be rendered for viewing in their entirety in record time, or single pages can be selectively accessed for the fastest rendering whether via web, tablet, or mobile.

Automate error prone and time consuming steps of publishing workflows to cut lead times.

Developer support at every step

More than just a software development kit, Foxit offer comprehensive developer support at every step – from installation, to troubleshooting, to advice. Demos and sample code are provided to help developers hit the ground running.